


The Spider Break-in

by The_demons_were_too_polite



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cold, Gen, Homeless Peter Parker, Homelessness, Poor Peter, Pre-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sleep, Starvation, Tired Peter Parker, Whump, hunger, thermoregulation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2019-10-01 15:30:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17246732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_demons_were_too_polite/pseuds/The_demons_were_too_polite
Summary: Peter Parker is in need of a break, the avengers roof ducts are a warm place to nap on a cold night.After May found out Peter left home in a hurry. Now homeless and surviving on the streets of New York Peter discovers that some rooftops hold more that just a place to sleep.Mischief and potential bullying from the avengers and poor Peter Parker whump.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure whether to write this or not. 
> 
> I have an idea of homeless Peter Parker finding shelter on the roof of the tower, the avengers messing with him at first (they haven't met yet) and then discovering that the baby spider is actually in desparate need of help. Would like to build the relationship from spider-man first meeting the avengers/Tony and starting to be accepted out of the cold.
> 
> Short chapter to start as I'm not sure if it will become a story.

 

Two weeks before Christmas and Happy was more than ready for the break that the holidays would bring. It’s not that Happy isn’t _happy_ in his job, it’s just the fact that the role has changed substantially from when he first became head of security for Stark Industries. Back in the day he was reading people, profiling, playing a larger game with those who would have their hands on Stark money or tech. Nowadays criminals and thieves steer clear of the tower unfortunately not only out of fear of the towers' head of security but more so the fact that earths mightiest hero’s call the tower home. His role now mainly involves chauffeuring for the famous Tony Stark, being Pepper's second in command and a general information point for all guests of the tower who are not important enough, or do not have an urgent question that needs to be handled by the couple. As Happy had been with Tony for many years now he knows the general day to day business (minus the Science mumbo) and can filter the menial problems as they come up. The security of the tower and it's residents is still his priority but realistically any of the inhabitants could do far more damage to those foolish enough to break-in including Ms Potts; Happy had witnessed first hand the odd person getting on her bad side and the outcome had not been pleasant for them.

“There appears to be a disturbance on the roof Mr Hogan.” Jarvis broke Happys’ 5pm lull in work.

A groan escaped Happy, he had just finished escorting out a tour of school children, over excited due to the holidays with potentially sticky fingers and now he has to deal with this disturbance. What type of idiotic criminal would try to break into the avengers tower? Yes it is technically dark outside but 5pm is hardly under the cover of night. How had they even gotten all the way up to the roof from the outside? However, a darker thought then occurred, the dreaded press and paparazzi are always looking for the next big exclusive piece of gossip they can uncover. It would be just perfect if a nosey reporter got injured trying to get into the tower from such a great height and it would be Happy who would have to deal with the aftermath.

“Show me the camera feed from the roof.” Happy sighed. Instantly an image of the two large industrial air ducts appear on the holographic screen in front of him, blue and red spandex rested at the bottom of the furthest one. “Take me to Tony!” Happy barked striding into the elevator.

 


	2. Fleeing the nest!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fleeing the nest - How it began

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write a bit more as I have to stay up with a nervous dog on New Years Eve!  
> Side note, people with fireworks, why can't everyone not set them off at 12-12:10 only and not throughout the whole evening just as the dog gets settled BOOOOOM!! :') I may have a nervous breakdown over here.
> 
> This chapter is a necessary backstory, one chapter I promise and then back to the now with a spider on the tower.

 

The way it happened wasn’t spectacular. There was no grand reveal, no epic save. Peter Parker and his famous Parker luck had seen him returning through his bedroom window late one night (or was it technically early morning now?) after a very tiring patrol. He had not meant to stay out as late as he did, there was a Spanish test tomorrow (or today!) after all. No, the wonderful criminal residents of New York had decided that tonight was the night for them all to conspire and commit their crimes one after another. Muggings, vandals, burglars, street gangs with a vengeance, he had dealt with them all multiple times that night and just wanted to collapse onto his bed. Some nights he finished patrol wishing he could stay out for just a few more hours however tonight he was just glad that it was over. You would think with the frequency that he had been stopping petty criminals of late people would have got the message that he isn't the bad guy. Yes the press don't have much of a kind word to spare on the vigilante but you would hope that the lady whose purse you just returned from an attempted mugging would not then proceed to thwack you over the head with it. Spidey senses be damned sometimes you just don't expect and are unable to react to the complete lack of thanks he receives. Telling himself that it is just bad luck that so many ungrateful customers had been on the receiving end of his heroism tonight and trying to remind himself of the good times where victims thanked him profusely (the churro lady!) spiderman climes on through his bedroom window.

 

May had had a long day of work, a gruelling double shift at the hospital. When she got back to the apartment she found the place exactly as she left it, which was not a good thing. “Peter, please could you tidy up after school, this apartment is becoming a dumping ground for your books. Could you also do the dishes that you promised to take care of yesterday, yes they have now soaked long enough!” May had said this in jest of course but cannot deny that there is an undercurrent of annoyance for her nephew and his apparent “slacker” attitude of late. A whizz at Science he may be but academic knowledge is not enough to make a person. Something had changed in her nephew over these past few months, he was going out late, sometimes sneaking out when he thought she was asleep. Not only elusive about where he was spending all this time she found that her nephew was also stealing food. Granted it’s not actually stealing, if he had asked she would of course have said that he could eat those extra boxes of cereal, taken those packets of crackers but Peter had not asked. The food just seemed to disappear over night. One morning when all these nighttime mysteries had become too much May questioned Peter about food going missing. Rather than taking the opportunity to explain what was going on to his Aunt Peter had denied any knowledge, avoiding the questions, changing the topic before proceeding to dash out the door for school. May didn’t want to think that it was a gang or drug related deal but this was becoming the only viable cause. One way or another she would find out what had happened to the boy she loved only months ago so with cup of coffee in hand she set up her vigil outside of Peters' cracked bedroom door.

 

“What the F***?!”

“Aunt May! Um.. Hey! Hi, um” a stuttering Peter had spun around at the shrill voice of his Aunt and was now desperately trying to find something to cover up his spiderman costume. He had taken his mask off out of habit upon entering through his window and was now regretting this deeply. He wasn’t sure whether he could act like spiderman, like another person, in front of his Aunt but he would rather be giving that a shot right now than trying to explain what a definite Peter Parker head was doing sticking out of the identifiable red and blue suit.

“What, erm what are you still doing up? How was your double shift?” It may be pointless but he plucked the nearby blanket from his bed to act as a cape, maybe she missed the suited getup?

“I wait up because I am worried about you, you shut me out and I want to help. Here I find you are literally throwing away your life messing around with criminals and breaking the law. What is it Peter, did I not praise you enough, love you enough and you decide to throw it in my face prancing around as some glorified hooligan causing problems and more work for the police. You are this Spiderman, this menace that has lead to some of the people showing up in the ER injured and scared. How could you do this, is it attention, do you just want your 10 minutes of fame. You are so smart, why are you not out there helping people instead of causing chaos?!” Spitting the words in her growing anger May couldn’t help but think of everything she had seen on TV and in person around the city courtesy of Spiderman.

Peter had to bite his own tongue to stop from asking if she had been reading the daily bugle again by any chance. Yes sometimes people got hurt but it wasn’t always his fault. Some people stood too close to the action during fights. Others were injured as they were the “bad guys”. Yes there had been accidents but most of these occurred a few months ago when he was still learning the webs as it were. He was better now, took more time to assess the situations, sometimes. He pulled his punches so even the "bad guys" got away with minimal injuries preferring to web them up for the police to serve the full justice for their crimes. He tried his best at least, someone had to! He knows he isn’t a perfect hero but he is giving it his all.

“Ben…” was all May needed to whisper with watering eyes for Peter to snag his backpack from the ground, tipping the contents onto the bed. The emotions were still raw for him too, he could have, should have saved him. Aunt May knew now that Spiderman was there that day, not just Peter, the day that Ben was shot. Spiderman was there, right next to him. It would have been easy for Spiderman to save him but he hadn’t. Peter hadn’t. He had faltered and his Uncle had paid the price. The gun had fired and Peter didn’t move, Spiderman didn’t move. Spiderman with his quick reactions, super strength, enhanced speed had not moved. No one could hate him more than he hates himself but May looked like she would certainly give it a go. Little did May know that Peter already knew the shooter, a criminal that he had let get away earlier. What am I doing being a burden to her, making her worry taking her food and giving nothing back? Why should she have to put up with such a waste of space who cannot save the ones he loves the most. He hadn’t meant to become such a burden to his Aunt but once he started doing this job and after Ben had died everything seemed to spiral. The city needed him and naively he thought that he could juggle responsibilities. He had taken to grabbing more food to fuel his extra curricular activities and his new body with it’s metabolism. When he found out May had noticed the missing food what could he say? He couldn’t tell her why he needed the extra food without revealing what he had now become and in extension how badly he had failed Ben. He had been selfish making himself feel better saving people whilst neglecting the love and kindness of the only surviving family member he has left. He had left her in the dark, withdrawing from her completely in the fear that he would put her in danger through association. Now he realises how hard this must have been on May too, first losing Ben and then losing Peter in a way. How many nights had she spent worry about him wondering when he would come home. He knows she has seen his bruises from time to time, he knows she had been concerned and worried how he had gotten so beat up. The excuse of a skateboarding accident was only plausible so many times. May now knew how deeply he had betrayed her and he knew that the longer she had to dwell on the events of the past few months the more of his lies she would unravel and piece back to the root cause, Spiderman. Those new backpacks she had to buy, Spiderman. How the medicine cabinet was always needing a restock, Spiderman. The list went on and on, Peter felt overwhelmed with shame. He had taken advantage of his Aunt making her work harder to support him with double shifts unknowing that she was actually funding not her grieving nephew but a nephew who had decided to become the city's vigilante. He couldn’t meet May’s eyes, the accusation rightly there was too much to bear. She was thinking the same thoughts he was having or would be soon enough as she put it all together. Stuffing the nearest jeans, tops and sweaters he could grab into the backpack he dived for his money jar shoving it into the bag. The blanket that had fallen from his shoulders in the commotion was stuffed in afterwards. Peter may be grateful later when he discovers the two pictures still zipped away in the inside pocket of the bag but for now his only thought is get out.

Springing to the window he left.

The slam and click of the window being shut and locked behind him did not take his enhanced senses to pick up on. He could never go back, even if Aunt May could ever find it in herself to forgive him he could not forgive himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter - Back to my main idea: Tony and the avengers discover their rooftop guest and decide to have some fun with the spandex guy. 
> 
> Happy 2019 internet!!


	3. From the inside looking out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am horribly late at continuing, sorry! As I've said I'm not sure whether to write this or not. Hoping that I get inspired and get invested into this story again but who knows!

 

_“Show me the camera feed from the roof” Happy sighed. An image of two large industrial air ducts appear on the holographic screen in front of him, blue and red spandex rested at the bottom of the furthest one. “Take me to Tony” Happy barked striding into the elevator._

 

 

Sometimes you don't want moments to end. The moment is so perfect, serene, surrounded by those you love and respect and you wish this single moment of bliss could last a lifetime.  This was not one of those moments.

This was a war zone, literally. The largest fight in the history of the tower had just broken out however this fight was actually of the friendly variety. A food fight with seemingly unlimited popcorn was currently underway. It was tradition now that after a successful mission the avengers would have a group relax session commonly comprising of a good meal and a movie and tonight was no exception. The mission had been a huge success and the team was working better together than ever before, an achievement considering what a mismatched band of heroes they were. Who would have guessed that a team comprising of the nerdiest scientists, assassins, super soldiers and gods would be able to set any differences aside and band together for the good of the people. 

Tony chuckled to himself as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. As soon as the fight had broken out he had scurried, with an ammo pile of popcorn, behind the kitchen counter. Even though he spends most of his time covered in some form of grease or oil from his work in the lab when he makes the effort to put on clean clothes he would prefer it if they remain clean at least for a few hours. Bruce was the second deserter of the battlefield, Tony imagined that the violence in which some of the food was being thrown did nothing for his stress levels. As Bruce crawled his way across the floor trying to get to the safety of the kitchen island too a pair of heels blocked his path. The battle stopped as attention turned to the formidable figure of Pepper Potts stood on the outskirts of the sofa bordered arena. Thors' laughter at having caught a deadly round of popcorn in his mouth died as he too looked to see what had drawn the attention away.

"Oh hey Pep, come to join the movie?" Tony wondered how Pepper had such a knack for finding him during his worst moments. Why must she walk in whenever he decided to let off steam and act like a child for five minutes. He hadn't even been an active player in the popcorn fight, more of a snipper on the side when an opportune moment arose and yet he still felt embarrassed at the situation she had found him in. Down on his hands and knees hiding behind the kitchen island looking up at the woman he hoped to marry.

"Doesn't look like there is much _watching_ going on" Peppers gaze ran across the room and the avengers various states.

"Well Cap said that we need to bond, how better than testing and offering advice on each others fighting techniques?" There was no way she was buying this but he couldn't help but try to justify his compromising situation. Pepper sighed walking further into the mess and dusted off a spot on the sofa to sit.

"J, play from the beginning and activate a clean team for this mess"

"Right away Sir" Jarvis responded instantly to Tony's command and a small group of hand sized robots sprung from various hidden docking stations to start collecting the widely spread popcorn. The rest of the team followed Peppers lead dusting off their previously vacated spots around the living area as the iconic music for Jurassic Park began to play on the surround sound. Thor had not seen the movie and as there were no objections from the others it had been decided as the film of the night, that is until Clint had flicked the first piece of popcorn at Tony's head before a dinosaur was even on screen.

 

"Tony!" 

Everyone but Natasha jumped at the loud shout from the elevator doors. A red faced Happy quickly approached as Jarvis automatically paused the film.

"Happy, what are your thoughts, were they scaly reptiles or feathered? Cap can't seem to remember in his old age how the dinosaurs actually looked". Tony winked at Steve. He received a quick glare in response but Steve was much more interested in what Happy had to say than Tony's taunts.

"Tony, there's a disturbance on the roof" Happy panted out.

Tony sighed "Then as head of security I have complete faith in your abilities to deal with the pigeon problem". He tried to make light of what was obviously some sort of situation judging from Happys' sweat covered face. 

"Happy what's wrong?" Pepper supplied ignoring Tonys' joke.

Happy glanced at the TV screen "Jarvis, show the camera's on the roof".

At once the screen changed to display the two large air ducts that adorned the top of the tower. At first Tony was at a loss for what he was meant to be seeing when his eyes landed at the bottom of the duct furthest away. There half in shadow from the early moonlight was a red and blue fabric of some sort. As his eyes took in the picture it became clearer, the shape of limbs distinguished themselves from the mass. There in the air duct curled up into a tight ball was Spiderman.

 

Tony had only spoken to Spiderman on a few occasions whilst out in the city, always during a fight. Although he thought of the man as brave he was also undeniably reckless and seemed to care little for his public image. Tony had always been very aware of the media and press that surrounded himself and couldn't help but wonder why Spiderman made it harder on himself by keeping his identity hidden. Fury and Shield had explicitly told all of the avengers not to associate with the masked vigilante. Earths mightiest heroes were not to get tarnished with the same bad press that Spiderman collected. He was a hero for the people of the city, the little man and that Tony respected but why he insisted on making a bad name for himself at the same time Tony couldn't understand. Was it any wonder that the daily bugle took it upon themselves to write hateful pages about his antics questioning his real motives for any good he did. People wanted a face to the name, a person behind the mask to take responsibility for their actions. As Spiderman could be anyone from anywhere suspicion and rumours were bound to spread leading to such bad press and heavy judgement on all of his acts. It's not like Tony could get away with making mistakes or causing damage to a few buildings in the pursuit of the greater good but at least he didn't get his name automatically tarnished on the front page, at least not all of the time. Spiderman had definitely made a tough path for himself if he continued to roam the city as he did. Although the avengers were not permitted to associate with him they couldn't help but notice that sightings of Spiderman had become more frequent in recent months and as such so had the media and police attention. Currently there was no warrant out for Spiderman's arrest but with the way things were going it was only a matter of time. Tony knew that Shield had been gathering information on the vigilante for some time now and the general opinion was sooner or later the avengers would be called upon to bring him in. It's not like Spiderman tries to cause damage or injury but unfortunately for him he's not part of a team, working alone trying to fix all the problems and there's no Pepper to help him smooth things over when they go awry.

 

"I'm heading up!" Clint jumped to his feet practically buzzing with excitement. He had a mischievous grin on his face and it was clear he was already plotting on the wake up call he was going to give. Tony knew Clint had always had a softer spot for Spiderman and spoke kindest about him when he was discussed in meetings. Before he could take another step though Natasha stopped him.

"What is he doing up there, do the ducts have direct access into the tower" She was frowning at the screen but the figure remained motionless.

"No direct access, he would have to disable the.." Tony began but was interrupted by Clint.

"Yes direct access, he could crawl his way straight in here. Somebody might have disabled the fans and guard for easier manoeuvring when exploring the system". In his defence at least Clint looked a little guilty at having allowed the tower to be breached by anyone willing to take the climb.

"Then why has the man of spiders not come in and fought us?" Thor asked the group "Or is he waiting until we sleep to take something from the tower?".

Tony stared at the screen but it gave nothing of Spiderman's motives away. "J, how long has he been here?"

"Approximately 40 minutes Sir. Might I also inform you that Spiderman has visited this area of the tower before."

"What?"

"Spiderman has come to the tower on three previous instances to the same location" Jarvis elaborated.

"Then why have you not reported it before? I thought he was a "disturbance" and you obviously detected his previous visits why didn't you alert me?" Tony grumbled, he always hated finding out information late.

"Previous visits by Spiderman had been made after Mr Hogan's working hours. The disturbance was not great enough to warrant an alert to be made to him during his personal time as Spiderman did not proceed to enter the main structure of the tower. Unfortunately Sir I did not inform you to the disturbance as during two of the visits you were working in the lab and had specifically requested not to be disturbed."

"And the other visit J?"

"As per Miss Pott's protocol I am not to disturb you for any non life threatening situations whilst you are sleeping unless overruled by herself. This is part on the Nap-time for Tony protocol."

Bruce snorted at the end of Jarvis's words.

"As disturbing as that all sounds why did you not report the disturbance to myself or Happy the following day or when I became free?"

"There is nothing it my commands that states this is a requirement. As Spiderman did not enter the mainframe of the tower and caused no damage there was no reason to report the disturbance"

"Well from now on J write it in. If somebody is lingering on the roof of my home I want to know about it."

"Understood Sir"

It still didn't explain what was going on only made the situation more confusing. Spiderman had apparently begun a habit of hanging out in his roof duct. A strange choice on how to spend an evening it you asked Tony. But he hadn't done anything, assuming Jarvis was correct he had just been there not tried to break into the tower or take anything from them. Strange is the only word Tony can think of. There must be something, someway the vigilante was benefiting from this or else why do it?

"J on these other occasions how long has Spiderman stayed and when was he here?"

"Spiderman has had three previous visits; the first visit lasted for 3hours the following two were around 7hours in duration. All visits have happened during the nighttime and have always resulted in Spiderman leaving before daybreak."

It just got more bizarre. Why on earth would Spiderman choose to spend such a long amount of time hanging out on a filthy roof duct, it was December for heavens sake surely there were better places for him to hang around at.

“Any ideas?” Tony asked the group though mainly directed at Steve as he was the usual strategist but he was open for any suggestions that explained the odd behaviour.

Steve shrugged but said “Monitoring our patterns. There must be something of value here in the tower that he wants and he is checking to see whether the roof ducts will provide the access that he needs without being caught”. It was a weak theory as Spiderman was not known to assess situations beforehand but Tony was willing to work with any theory at the moment. 

“Well I say we wake up the bug! Those vents can release air right Jarvis?” Clint was practically rubbing his hands together at this point grinning. 

“Yes Mr Barton the ducts can draw air in and also force air out at high speeds and temperatures for a range of scenarios such as poisonous gas, smoke...”

Jarvis was cut of by Clint “Excellent then get ready to send out a load of cold air to wake up our little spider!”

“Due to the damaged fans and the ones you have removed yourself the air flow out will not be of a high force Mr Barton but systems are ready.”

Tony shot a look at Clint again which was mirrored in Steve’s expression. Not only had Clint opened the tower up to intruders he had also made it vulnerable to attacks and scenarios which resulted in the need of air flow in the tower to be controlled. Tony made a mental note that he would have to fix this sooner rather than later to defend the tower again on both fronts. 

“Well then J you heard him, let’s get rid of our pest problem” Tony commanded.

They all watched the screens keen to see how high the masked hero would jump when the rush of colder air reached him. Spiderman always had quick jabs and retorts when they fought with him a few times in the city and on the clips they had seen of his fighting on YouTube. It would be good to see him on the other end of the joke for once. As they waited Tony became inpatient. 

“Are the ducts too badly damaged J?” He asked after a minute or so eyes fixed on Clint. 

“The ducts are functioning and have increased to a maximum at 40% capacity, air is flowing out as requested Sir and has been changed to cold”

"Changed to cold Jarvis?" Steve queried.

"Yes Captain Rogers, as we are currently in winter the towers heaters are fully functional, this results in warm air being released from the tower once circulated"

"Jarvis zoom in on Spiderman and make sure you are recording this footage" Tony was getting impatient for the undoubtably funny reaction to come.

The screen zoomed in onto the rolled up ball of Spiderman although he still refused to move. In fact Tony couldn't distinguish any movement coming off of the man at all he simply lay curled on his side at the bottom of the vent one red and blue arm drawing his knees in close the other acting as a pillow.

"Jarvis display thermal imaging alongside the footage" Natasha instructed leaning further forwards in her seat.

The screen split into two halves one displaying the direct feed and on the other side a duplicate feed with the thermal layer.

"Damn" Natasha cursed bitterly.

The gravelled ground below the air ducts was a cool grey/blue colour as to be expected for December however the air duct was progressively becoming a stronger and brighter blue indicating the drop in the metals temperature. For 40% capacity they seemed to be doing a good job of releasing cold air out of the tower. However the rest of the image was beginning to become worrisome. Tony had thermal imaging in his suits so was relatively used the the colours of a body. The standard yellows of the average person with the oranges and sometimes reds that appeared depending on how hot the person was. Spiderman had no yellow on him let alone stronger heat colours of red or orange. As Tony watched he could see the faint green colour that surrounded Spiderman's body fade and recede inwards towards his core with bluer hues starting to replace the colours in their wake along the extremities. Looking to Clint he could see the laughter had gone from his face too as he studied the images of Spiderman on screen still unmoving in his position in the freezing ducts. 

 


	4. Cold blooded or cold hearted?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it seems like I am going to post another chapter so soon after the last - don’t ask! Thank you for your lovely comments :3 This one gets a bit dark and twisty towards the end, hope you enjoy

_Looking to Clint he could see the laughter had gone from his face too as he studied the images of Spiderman on screen still unmoving in his position in the freezing ducts._

 

 

"Everyone stay here" Steve said "I'm going to check on him alone, we don't want him to think we are preparing to fight".

Whilst Tony wanted to argue he couldn’t help but agree with Steve, he was best person to go and it was better that only one of them woke Spidey up. Steve being the poster child for good should scare Spiderman the least with his presence. It was strange how everything had changed from a few minutes ago when they were all gleefully anticipating the shock and surprise their little wake up prank would bring. 

Tony was worried, the colours on the screen indicated that Spiderman’s temperature was very low indeed. A nagging thought crawled it’s way into his mind wondering if this was the temperature reading a dead body would give off. Tony shook himself and thought of other possibilities like Spiderman running cooler was due to his abilities and powers. This settled in his brain a lot easier than the previous thought and until there was any evidence to the contrary this was the thought pattern he would choose to follow. 

Happy took a seat for himself amongst the group. Tony knew he was head of security but would never expect him to deal with such a scenario alone especially with a full tower of avengers.

Watching the screen as the Captain left Tony was surprised to see a brief amount of movement. Spiderman twitched in his space inside the duct and abruptly sat up, knees still drawn to his chest and hands running up and down his arms as if to warm up. It was almost as if Spiderman knew somebody was on their way. Although he had apparently detected the approach it was clear to see that Spiderman didn’t know in which direction the person was coming from for he was casting his head containing the large pearl white eyes around the rooftop surveying the area for movement.

Almost comically Spiderman crawled upside down under the belly of the air duct his back only just clearing the gravelled ground below. Even though he was still visible to the camera it was clear that he had slunk out of sight just as Captain America's sneaker clad foot came into view. Tony watched amused as Steve checked the duct, scanned the area and paced the site unable to locate Spiderman unknowing that he currently clung to the bottom of the duct. It was a shame, Tony thought, that he didn’t have a comm in his ear although Tony wasn't sure if he would be able to direct Steve to his target without laughing. Steve stood confused next to the mouth of the duct, Spiderman concealed just beneath it. Clint’s bark of laughter at the situation made it clear that Tony wasn’t the only one who found it comical. Such a simple move had made Spiderman undetectable to the so called super solider who prided himself in leading their team.

Eventually it seemed Steve gave up his search as he left the view of the camera presumably to head back down to the living area. Tony only had eyes for the screen though as Spiderman obviously sensing rather than seeing the threat pass crawled back out from under the duct and stood. He wobbled alarmingly when he got to his feet having to grasp the air duct to keep himself steady. If Tony didn’t know better he would have thought the hero to be drunk. Balancing better and lifting his right leg slightly Spiderman stood and seemed to get his bearings. Tony was hooked on the unnatural behaviour as he watched Spiderman almost experimentally set his right foot down only to be lifted straight back up again. An injury? Tony thought it strange but definitely not implausible considering who he was watching but how had Spiderman made it to the top of the tower with a bad leg? It was addictive to watch the normally energetic hero so still and unfiltered by the presence of others. Apparently he wasn't always running his mouth with a quick joke whilst racing across the city although Tony couldn't help but feel the picture was off without the normal buzz of excited energy he surrounded himself in. It appeared Spiderman was feeling the cold again as his hands resumed their previous rubbing up and down his arms whilst he wobbled slightly on one leg.

“J turn off the cold air and send out some heat” Tony instructed Jarvis keen to see how this would affect the display in front of him.

The effect was almost instantaneous, Spiderman seemed drawn to the duct immediately and sat down further inside the rim than before legs pulled tightly but hands less viciously rubbing. On the thermal imaging green was slowly replacing the dominant colours of blue.

 

* * *

 

 

Peter

Peter was struggling. He didn’t need his body to tell him what he already knew. His stomach constantly growled his muscles ached and his head pounded. He was tired, cold, hungry and in a general state of exhaustion both physically and mentally.

In the beginning it had been bearable. Not great, not good but bearable, survivable. He had been on the streets for about three months now, late September and a mild October had been fine. The days were still longer and lighter the air just starting to go crisp, it was survivable. 

This past month or so had not been bearable. This past month or so had Peter going to very dark places both in his mind which was becoming a lonely and scary place to wander and in his body as he ventured to shadier areas of the city in the hunt for a place to stay for the night sheltered out of the increasingly cold weather. 

It was a toss up Peter decided. He hated being hungry, with his enhanced metabolism on top of a normal teenage boys needs the pain and discomfort of his empty stomach was intolerable however he also hated being cold. He simply could not find a way to stay warm at the moment and he was becoming concerned that they were still only in the beginnings of winter. And thus presents the toss up, because he was so hungry he felt colder with no hot meals in his belly to warm him from the inside but because he was so cold he felt hungrier and needed more energy to try and shiver himself back to some level of warmth burning off what little calories he could get. It really was a conundrum as to which was worse until Peter found the one to trump them both, sleep. Or lack there of. 

The absence of sleep seemed to top the chart and made dealing with both the cold and the hunger worse. Peter quickly realised that he did not function well on the now reduced levels of rest and he struggled to get more of it whenever he could. If he was lucky enough to find a place to sleep for the night he then either found himself too cold or his stomach was too achy to get the rest he so desperately needed. And so the circle was completed for then Peter's lack of sleep had a drastic affect on his waking hours and made dealing with the other two problems undeniably harder. It would have been poetic, a neat circle of life’s problems all wrapped up, if it wasn’t happening to him. 

The first night Peter had left his Aunt's apartment he had made the promise to himself. A promise that he would not live for himself anymore and be as selfish as he had been. He would live only for others in his role as Spiderman and help and save as many people as he possibly could. Even though he knew his Aunt didn’t approve of Spiderman this was the only way he knew that he could do some good and maybe repay a little of his guilt and debt back into the world. He knew his Aunt didn’t want him anymore and he had accepted this. Even before she found out about him being Spiderman he knew the day would come that she would learn the truth and that when it did his Aunt would forsake him. How could she not? Even setting aside all of the other lies related to his vigilantism the first and main point remained. He had been there when his Uncle was shot, when her husband was shot. He had been standing right there and had done nothing to stop it, frozen in place. He had the power to save him and he didn’t. It wasn’t just Peter who had failed to save his own Uncle it was Peter with the power of Spiderman behind him who still hadn’t acted and had failed them both.

These were the dark thoughts that crowded Peter's mind as he tried to find the elusive sleep in the dark streets of New York. Colours seemed to have drained from his world with only black and a murky white remaining. There was no happiness to be found in the cooling and approaching winter. No light to be found in the shortening and darkening days. 

Flashes of his previous life sometimes came back to him making the ache even worse. When he saved a young girl with an infectious smile, the old lady who thanked him for his help and asked him about his day, the police officer who said “good job son” with a clap to his back. These people didn’t know it but they were giving him the only amount of human interaction and kindness in his life at present. Peter almost wished that they wouldn't speak with him, wouldn't smile kindly at him as he knew it wouldn't last. He couldn't go back to that relatively happy life he once lived, once they were done with their thanks he would be alone again.

Peter spent more and more time in the suit not only because it gave him a purpose and made him feel like he was contributing but also because without the suit he had literally nothing. He was no one. Peter couldn’t stand the looks that strangers would give him when they came across him sat to the side of the street or in the closed doorways of shops. Their expressions ranged from disgust and disappointment at discovering his unasked for existence in their own happy worlds to the other end of the scale which was pity, which Peter hated more. He didn’t want people to feel sorry for him, he deserved whatever life threw at him now. He had taken so much been so selfish it was time for it to be claimed back from him. 

The money Peter had taken with him was long since gone. He had tried to save it at first, spread the notes and coins as far as they would go but eventually his hunger always won out. He kept telling himself that things would get better, that he would find somewhere willing to take an underage employee on the side books and he could make a bit of cash to keep him going. However as the weeks passed and Peter struggled to keep his clothes and body in a presentable state his hopes of someone giving a job to an underaged homeless boy faded away as well. He deserved this Peter reminded himself. He deserved to suffer and pay back what he had taken from his Aunt.

So Peter lived as best he could. From day break until late into the night he was now Spiderman. He felt guilty that he couldn't patrol all of the time but his body simply couldn't support itself. Always from about 1am until first light of dawn he found himself collapsing somewhere in the city unable to keep patrolling, he found these hours were easier than trying to rest during the busy bustle of a New York day. Sleep still for the most part evaded him but the lack of movement for a few hours was enough to allow him to get up at the start of the new day and do it all over again. Living in the costume now was a blessing and a curse. Peter didn't have to worry about the concerned and disgusted looks of strangers as _Peter the teenager_ slept on the streets but he did have to worry about people discovering the passed out body of Spiderman. Rather than continue stopping in alleyways and street corners Peter had taken to finding rest on rooftops around the city. It was still a problem if anyone was to stumble across him during the night but the chances of this had been significantly reduced when up high. Peter felt safer, when he had been on the streets to any onlookers he was a vulnerable teenage boy but up high as Spiderman he was still protected even at rest. His spidey sense was quieter, his nerves less twitchy and he could almost pretend he was content gazing up at the stars.

Peter had become all too familiar with the rooftops of New York, which ones had a roof access, which with a large pigeon population and which had a broken drain pipe that dripped relentlessly into the night. He had a few preferred "safe" spots but never felt comfortable enough to stay on the same roof twice in a week for fear that someone might be watching him and pick up on his patterns. Shield and the New York City police department had been his biggest concern when he became homeless more so than a potential "bad guy" finding him. The last thing Peter needed right now was to be tracked down and arrested, they could probably say he was trespassing if they managed to catch him on a civilians rooftop or worse accuse him on suspicion of burglary. Peter was under no allusions and was well aware that the law enforcement were not fans of his, he knew that they would take any opportunity no matter how much of a stretch to get him off of their streets. He understood why, he had learnt that no one wanted him around but liked to think they also saw that he was doing some good protecting the city alongside them albeit in a less legal way.

As if they could hear him thinking of them Peter's spidey sense alerted him to a presence on the street below. Crawling over to the edge of the roof he looked down and could see the police cruiser parked not too far down the street with two officers making their way with flashlights towards him.

"You sure they said on the corner of Main street?" Peter overheard one officer ask of his partner. 

The partner in question flipped open his note book where he had scribbled down details of the report. "Suspicious activity on the residential building on the corner of Main. Suspected sighting of Spiderman or another masked individual attempting to break in through the roof" reported the second officer.

Peter sighed, in what way did it look like he was trying to break-in? The rooftop was made of completely flat concrete no skylights or access doors at all. He suspected the witness had dramatised their sighting in order to get the police presence, Peter knew that more and more people were reading the daily bugle as they liked to have someone to blame for anything that goes wrong in the city.

Before the officers could get too close and spot him he backed away from the ledge mentally crossing off this particular rooftop as a future resting zone. Wearily Peter gathered his battered backpack stuffing it the torn blanket and made to swing away into the night.

This was the night he discovered it. Swinging through New York exhausted and just wanting to rest Peter found himself at the Avengers Tower. 

Peter use to be a huge fan of the Avengers. He loved that they stood for good, defended the earth and looked cool whilst doing it. Recently he had become a lot more wary of them however. He had only spoken to various members once or twice whilst fighting alongside them but couldn't shake off the small twinge from his spidey sense telling him not to become too comfortable. Peter had thought this was just due to the powers and abilities that the avengers possessed but after more thought he started to assume that his senses were trying to warn him that they too, like the NYPD and Shield, would like to get him off their streets if they could.

As he was gazing up at the iconic building he couldn't help but wonder what the stars looked like from the top. There was no way the police or any other witnesses would see him from way up there, perhaps he could actually get a few hours of sleep? The only problem was the residents in the building itself. 

Light decorated the tower until about halfway up, there was obviously someone home but the roof, the tip of the tower? Peter could see no activity, no signs of life or light coming from what had to be the top five floors. Perhaps if he could get up there without being noticed he could hide out. Did the famous Tony Stark have security on his roof? All the way up there during winter? It was worth the risk Peter decided as he began to swing faster arching up and landing high on the side of the tower. Skittering as fast as he could he made his way to the rooftop. 

The rooftop was, mercifully, deserted. As the tower came to a point at the top the space was not as large as he was expecting. A gravelled rooftop with a heavily secured access door which must lead into the tower below. Two air ducts sat poking out of the rooftop and Peter couldn't believe his luck.

Warmth. Unfamiliar, blissful, warmth. The air ducts were releasing heated air from the tower below into the night sky. Peter quickly scanned around himself again. Spidey sense quiet and body exhausted he found himself crawling into the mouth of one of the vents. Peter sighed, this was heaven. He had been cold for so long, to the point of frozen for his poor fingertips and toes. The suit did not provide much in the way of insulation on a cold night however since Peter had been living his new life he found he had been dropping weight at quite an alarming rate which had allowed him to wear a layer or two underneath the spandex without it looking more bulky than before. Pulling his knees to his chest and revelling in the sensation surrounding him Peter curled up in the air duct positioning himself so that he faced outwards towards the roof access door.

 

He had only stayed a few hours, quietly leaving as soon as the sun started to make an appearance on the very visible horizon. Even though he had not slept for long Peter realised that he was feeling the most well rested he had been in quite some time. He was surprised, his nerves should have been on high alert considering where he was but the lack of movement from any inhabitants below had quickly settled them as Peter gazed across the New York skyline. The tower had officially claimed his number one spot for places to stay around the city, not only was it safe and concealed from the public eye it also provided some warmth to him that he had become so unfamiliar with of late. As Peter started his new day he couldn’t help but feel lighter and dare he say happier flipping back across the city.

 


	5. Not feeling too good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A warm place to sleep

 

**After the first night on the tower**

 

Peter didn’t want to become too dependant on his new sleeping spot for fear of how much it would hurt when it inevitably gets taken away. He had learnt over the past few months that nothing is permanent in this cruel city and he should not become reliant on anything. This is what Peter had to remind himself after his first visit to the tower. The warmth and rest even though it had only been a few hours had done wonders for him but he had to tell himself to be sensible. Last night could have been a fluke, maybe the Avengers had been out on a mission and that’s why he wasn’t promptly evicted from their rooftop. Or maybe they had noticed him lingering up there and rather than act straight away they had set a trap for him predicting he would return so they could get him off of the streets for good and into the custody of shield.

 

Peter never would have thought along these lines before he became homeless but his happy-go-lucky persona had all but left him now. He had learnt you can never be too careful, everyone is out for themselves and no one is going to watch his back for him. He was willing to bet that if the Avengers had noticed him he would not get another chance to sleep on top of the tower so all he could do was wait and continue his search for other resting spots throughout the city, preferably a spot that isn’t owned by a heroic billionaire.

 

 

 

 

**Later that week, the second tower visit**

 

Peter sighed, today had been a long one. He'd had a good start to the day finding an almost whole and not entirely disgusting looking burger still wrapped at the very top of the trash can he poked his hand into. It was a Sunday morning meaning that less people were up and about at this hour to judge Peter as he rummaged for food. He was jealous that young adults could spend Saturday nights blissfully drinking and partying without a care but couldn’t help be grateful that sometimes a drunken partygoer grabbed a burger to eat before their plans evidently changed leading them to discard the food. At least this is the story he told himself as he scarfed down the burger in reality any number of unsavoury things could have led to the prize being throw in the trash but Peter couldn’t afford to be picky.

 

Breakfast over and patrol began. Fuelled by the unexpected breakfast Peter flew through the city enjoying the rising winter sun as it sparkled off of the skyscrapers. It was a littletoo cold still for his liking and Peter had taken to wearing two pairs of trousers and all (three) of his tops under his spandex suit. It still fit due to the amount of weight the already slim boy had lost but he couldn’t deny his reflection looked a bit odd when he passed some mirrored windows. Bulky and clumped beneath the spandex Peter had to stop occasionally during the day to readjust his outfit, it was worth it though for the body heat it helped to retain.

 

 

“Let’s just hope I don’t get accused of robbing a store and shoving the goods down here” Peter muttered to himself as he stopped later that night to wiggle his tops back down beneath the suit. It worked well layering up like this, his suit had become torn from fights and general wear so the red top underneath disguised the holes. The top layer of black jogging bottoms also peaked through the bottom cuts in his suit but at least he wasn’t exposing himself to the wind even if the colour is off. Peter has noticed that along with the damage to his suit the damage to his body was also becoming permanent. Multiple cuts, bruises, cracked ribs and a broken finger had been lingering for the past week or so, he was starting to get concerned that he was losing his ability to heal himself or at least at his usual rate but maybe he just needed more sleep? He had been patrolling all day now and was growing dangerously tired planning on where to stop for the night. When he starts to only narrowly avoid swinging into buildings Peter can’t help but give into his closing eyes promising the city he would be back as soon as he gained energy again. 

 

Today had turned into the coldest one so far but as they are technically in winter now this shouldn’t be surprising and it would only get worse from here. “Is it worth it?” Peter wondered aloud. He had taken to swinging past the tower a few times a day whilst on patrol to see if there were any signs of change to the rooftop. Despite his best efforts over the last few days he had not been able to find an alternative sleeping location that was as wonderful as the Avengers roof duct. Apparently Tony Stark is the only one in this city able to afford expensive heated air to drift into the night sky without a care.

 

Shivering Peter made the decision. He needed sleep and was not going to find it any other way with his helpful spidey sense nagging a warning at him to seek shelter constantly. He figured it must be to do with the spider DNA, he remembered from long ago is his other life reading about spiders and thermoregulation. He had determined that the spidey sense was triggered by this as spiders were unable to regulate their body heat his senses were trying to protect him by guiding him to seek shelter. What he had yet to figure out is wether his body could no longer thermoregulate too like a spider or whether he was just plain cold from living outside. Either way the decision had been made, he was going to take the risk and started swinging off towards the tower.

 

 

**Morning**

 

Peter hadn’t planned on staying so long. The rooftop had been as quiet as before and even though more lights were on in the tower below he had not been disturbed. In fact it was almost dawn by the time he woke up, the longest he had slept in a while. Jumping to his feet and preparing to leave before the tower residents woke for the day Peter couldn’t help but feel a bit weird. His stomach that was usually constantly grumbling in hunger was squeezing his insides in a very unpleasant way. Peter felt incredibly queasy and as he left the roof to start swinging through the city a headache started to come on. 

 

 

**The third tower visit**

 

His patrol had not been productive. Peter couldn’t bring himself to find anything to eat that morning so had been patrolling with a lighter head. This lead to some “bad guys” getting in some lucky shots that they normally wouldn’t have stood a chance with. Around mid afternoon Peter forced himself to eat a day old sandwich he snagged from a dumpster behind a convenience store. He knew he needed to eat and was slightly worried that his hunger had seemingly gone away despite not eating. His headache had progressed during the day and the sandwich didn’t settle well in his stomach. After dealing with a few more of the cities finest citizens Peter had to call it a night.

 

It was a risk he knew but he was feeling rather sorry for himself and broke one of his own rules about sleeping in the same place two nights in a row. The tower rooftop was as he left it that morning and with a weary sigh he curled up again for the night. This was his third time sleeping at the tower but as yet he still appeared to be unnoticed by the residents below.

 

 

**Morning**

 

Peter did not feel better. Peter felt so much worse. He was definitely sick, there was no denying it. His head was mussy and his stomach was cramping. Just before dawn again he awoke on the tower rooftop. Grabbing his beaten up water bottle from his backpack he took a swig glad he had filled it up at the public fountain the day before. The water settle better in his stomach than the sandwich the day before but he could tell he was not over whatever sickness this was yet. Considering his options Peter decided to web his backpack to the underside of the roof duct. It would be out of sight unless someone got on their hands and knees to crawl below the duct and Peter couldn’t imagine that happening. From the time he had spent monitoring the tower roof he had only seen it used once when Tony Stark himself had landed there in what looked to be a new version of the iron man suit, Peter assumes he must have been returning from a test flight.Happy that no one would find his backpack, not that it contained much at all worth stealing, Peter set off into the city again. 

 

 

**The forth tower visit, discovery**

 

That night he returned to the tower a lot worse for wear. His ankle was definitely broken and he had only just managed to get away from the police officer that grabbed him. He had stopped a mugging at about 4pm and as he was webbing up Mr criminal the NYPD arrived obviously alerted to the incident by one of the numerous onlookers. It was approaching Christmas now though Peter had no idea of the exact date. The shops were decorated and the streets were busier with shoppers out looking for the perfect Christmas presents. This also lead to an increase crime rate and Peter had been busy all day.

 

As the sirens stopped he heard the familiar “show me your hands” but what Peter hadn’t realised was the gun was pointing at him. Turning around he found himself slowly being surrounded by officers, guns drawn however his head was still throbbing and he began to feel irritated at this turn of events. The day felt longer with the increase crime rate alone but with his headache and stomach making each minute more painful he just wanted to call it a night. Making a snap decision Peter turned and pushed past some officers making to leave the area quickly. Almost away he suddenly fell to the left his spidey sense guiding him down to avoid a bullet shot to the right of where he was about to swing away.

 

Ignoring his queasiness and feeling dizzy from the change in height Peter took off again at a run but when he went to leap up the wall in front of him he felt a hand close around his ankle. Obviously intending to pull him back down from the wall an officer had his strong hand grasped around Peters’ right ankle and tugged. 

 

Peter felt the crack as well as heard it and his stomach rolled at the pain swallowing bile he pulled his now broken ankle free from the officers loosened grip and heaved himself to the top of the wall out of reach. Looking down briefly he could see the officer was just as shocked as Peter at what had happened. Had his bones become weaker Peter wondered or did this officer have a freakishly strong grip as well as being fast enough to keep up with him. The adrenaline from the escape was quickly fading and the pain was starting to make its presence known. The officer below was still frozen staring up at him but Peter could hear the approaching footsteps of his backup. Gingerly placing a bit of weight on his leg and realising it wouldn’t work Peter began to swing off back through the city.

 

And so about an hour later that night Peter broke two rules; staying in the same location for the third consecutive night and becoming complacent, trusting his surroundings. The roof of the Avengers tower shouldn’t feel safe, he shouldn’t feel relaxed here but Peter couldn’t help but curl up into his ball in the roof duct on his left side relieving the pressure on his right ankle and almost instantly pass out. 

 

 

 

 


	6. I Spy a Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spider has been spotted and so the spying begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will regret this tomorrow!! I'm meant to have spent the day working but ended up reading and writing fan fiction :L
> 
> Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on the last chapter and sorry the last two updates took a few months. I seem to write two chapters leave two months and write two more - sorry weird I know but I enjoy procrastinating when I should be working then going off radar to catch up on work :'L 
> 
> Send help so I can sort out my priorities and work/life balance!!
> 
> Love to the commenters x

 

 

**DANGER!**

 

Peter awoke and realised he was freezing. Barely able to wiggle his non broken fingers he sat up and looked around. The rooftop was quiet as ever and looked undisturbed but his spider sense was going haywire blaring that danger was approaching and he needed to hide now. Shuffling his slow cold limps he crawled over the lip of the air duct clinging to the base next to his webbed backpack, thats when he heard the sound of metal doors unlocking and crunching of gravel beneath a heavy foot. Peter hardly let out his breaths staying as still and quiet as possible. They had found him, they had found him and they were going to capture him, ship him off to shield and off of the streets for good.

 

Seconds ticked by agonisingly slow but eventually the footsteps stopped pacing and receded back they way they had come. The creak and clang of the metal door closing again. Peter wasn’t sure how long he remained clinging to the underside of the air duct but when he finally moved his heart had slowed back down and his spider sense was no longer screaming at him.

 

What had just happened? Did they know he was here or was it unrelated, somebody just out for a casual stroll in the rooftop air. Unlikely, Peter decided but still there had only been one person and his spider sense was quiet again, no reinforcements on the way. Peter gingerly drew himself upright and attempted to stand on both feet, the instant twinge of pain that came off of his right ankle however nearly made him loose balance his already throbbing head swimming. Grasping the side of the air duct to stay upright Peter suddenly realised how cold the metal had become. This was new, what had happened to his blood warming oasis? Just as the thought left his head the airflow changed if possible becoming warmer than before. What was going on?

 

Drawn to the heat Peter set aside his worry of being discovered his eyes were drooping as he resumed his curled position. He must really be sick, he couldn’t find the motivation or energy that he knew he should have to leave the area and quickly. Instead Peter went back to sleep as if nothing had happened too exhausted for proper thought. He must really be an idiot but the last thing he managed to think before slipping under was that maybe being captured wouldn’t be so bad, they fed you in prison right, the cells had heating at least?

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

_“J turn off the cold air and send out some heat” Tony instructed Jarvis keen to see how this would affect the display in front of him._

_The effect was almost instantaneous, Spiderman seemed drawn to the duct immediately and sat down further inside the rim than before legs pulled tightly but hands less viciously rubbing. On the thermal imaging green was slowly replacing the dominant colours of blue._

 

 

“What happened? Did he jump?” Steve had just returned to the room rubbing his hands slightly, it was going to be a cold one tonight.

 

“We need to work on your detective skills Cap, look” Clint helpfully supplied as Steve turned to face the monitors displaying Spiderman in practically the same position he had been when he left. “He simply slithered under that duct and managed to fool the great Steve Rogers”.

 

“Well why don’t you pop up there yourself and get him then?” Steve threw back. Honestly why had he become the bud of so many jokes lately, where was the respect nowadays. Noticing the thermal display he asked “Did you turn on the heat?”

 

“Yep, increased it actually” Tony said. “He seems to be warming up now”. It was true, the thermal imaging was showing Spiderman become a much more healthy colour than before, obviously he had been drawn to the heat that was being released again for he had curled back up and looked to the world to be sleeping in Tony’s own air duct.

 

“Do you think… I don’t understand” Tony was beginning to feel frustrated by the odd behaviour.

 

“The man of spiders seems very tired. Why does he not go to his own home to rest and recuperate?” Thor was staring at the screen watching the small rise and fall of Spiderman’s chest.

 

Bruce mumbled “Maybe that's it, he is just resting. It’s a central location maybe he is waiting for activity to pick back up again. Healing that injury whilst there is a lull?”

 

Natasha had been gazing at the screen too “I don’t like it. Why hide when Steve went out if he is not up to something? Why the Avengers tower, he knows that we are not a friend and under orders to avoid working with him. He just happens to be resting in an air duct with direct access into the tower? I don’t buy it. He must know that we know he is there and he must be planning something.”

 

“Shall I go up again, tell him to leave? Now that we know he will hide when I get up there I can tell him to stay away.” Steve asked.

 

Tony didn’t like this “Why didn’t he move when we blasted him though, it must have been freezing he should have guessed we were onto him, why not leave then? It’s not like he could have mistakenly got the wrong tower, he knows it's us down here. Oh and more importantly why is he still on my roof now?! Is he trying to screw with us, defying us to try and make us go out there and face him?”

 

“Maybe, draw us out so the tower is unguarded and sneak in when we are all up on the roof? He wants to fight us up there so he has some sort of advantage or get us all out there so he can sneak in?” Natasha had to voice it however lame the theory was. No one seemed to have the answers to the frankly weird behaviour the vigilante was displaying.

 

“So what now?” Tony mused.

 

“I say we still have some fun, show him that this is not a free parking spot. Air didn’t work, what shall we do next?! I’m gunna go up the ducts, he probably heard Cap's feet on the stairs to the access door, he wont be expecting a surprise visitor from the vents!” Clint seemingly had forgotten the strangely worried sensation he had been feeling for the vigilante before and was back to plotting his welcome party.

 

“Jarvis, can you zoom in a bit closer to Spiderman? It looks like he’s moving” Pepper calmly requested from her seat.

 

“Of course Miss Pott’s” Instantly the camera zoomed even closer so Spiderman’s body took up more than half of the screen. Before anyone could speak clear and vivid moment flashed onto the screen. Spidey seemed to be tossing around his sleep, a nightmare perhaps. All eyes are glued to the screen and watched as he threw out his arms as though he was fighting off some invisible enemy.

 

“He needs to be careful or he’ll…” Tony couldn’t finish before a particularly violent jolt from the masked vigilante rolled him off of the air duct and onto the ground below. Tony winced noticing the land on the previously favoured right leg.

 

“Sir, may I point out that the temperature readings are substantially different than they were before.”   

“Yes J, we turned up the heat remember, before he had the chance to become a Capsicle tribute act” Tony replied.  

“Sir he seems to be experiencing a fever, I would deduce that it is a fever dream we have just witnessed him experience.” Spiderman had picked himself up from the floor but it looked as though it had been a struggle. He was now drapped back into the air duct apparently passed out again.

 

Happy had been watching the entire time considering when would be an appropriate moment to leave seeing as it was now past his working hours and he was the least qualified person in the room to deal with masked individuals with a hero complex. However watching the screen he had become drawn into the drama currently unfolding. “Shouldn’t we go up and check on him. He doesn’t have a team right, he came here because he’s sick?”. Happy didn’t really care for the vigilante but it seemed pretty obvious to him that there was clearly something wrong. In the YouTube videos, that he would deny ever watching when questioned, they always showed the hero swinging around saving people not having fever dreams on a billionaires roof.

 

“I’m going up” Tony stood and swiftly made his way to the doors pushing a comm in his ear as he went. “Tell me if he hides” he wasn’t going to be played the fool like Cap.

 

* * *

 

 

When Tony got to the roof it was evident that he didn't need the comm. There in the duct was Spiderman. 

"If you're looking for free health care you wont find it here. I don't have or want a bug problem" Tony tried to get a rise out of the lump.

Moving closer he was unable to tell if Spidey was awake due to the unmoving reflective white eyes. "Hello!! Earth to bugman, this is a no stopping zone. Rent here is a little beyond your price range!" He was now about a meter away and still had been given no sign that the Spider had heard him. Crouching down Tony extended his arm going for a shoulder shake.

The second Tony's fingertips brushed the fabric of the suit the man was up, whacking his head on the side of the metal duct behind him. That had to have hurt Tony winced but there was no stopping the Spider now that he was up. Still backing away from Tony he stood and then fell backwards onto the gravel before proceeding to push himself away with his arms and good leg keeping his eyes trained on Tony the entire time.

 

"Hey, woah, easy there sleepy head. I just have a few questions about your choice of lodgings" Tony had raised his hands in the international symbol of no harm here but it didn't seem to reassure the Spider who was still on the ground a few meters away now. "I come in peace, stand down. I just want to talk"

 

"W.. wha.. *cough* what do you want?" a raspy voice came out.

 

Tony was in all honesty surprised, he hadn't expected a response. "Well A, that's a bit rich, I should be asking you that one seeing as you are on my rooftop and B, I just said, I come in peace and want to talk".

Spidey seemed to have gained a bit more of an awareness as he was now looking around surveying his surroundings. Before Tony could say anything else Spiderman was on his feet again wobbling and made some quick limps towards the edge of the building. It couldn't be called a jump more of a flop and the spider was gone. Tony on instinct alone had already started running before the Spiders foot left the roof and Tony jumped after the vigilante calling his suit to him before he was even in the air.

 

* * *

 

"Argghh get off!  Please!  Please let go.  Please!"

 

"Yeah not likely, idiot" Tony in the Iron Man suit had a firm grip on Spiderman's wrist after snagging him out of the nose dive. Now propelling them both back up to the roof the Spider was wriggling around in his grip trying desperately to break the hold. It was a weak attempt though and Tony had no trouble lifting them both smoothly back up the side of the tower. They stuck the landing but Tony was not taking chances grabbing the other wrist he now held both of Spiderman's hands behind his back unceremoniously shoving him through the door and down into the tower below. 

 

"Obs room 1" Natasha's voice sounded through his comm. Tony had begun marching the Spider in that direction since the entered the tower however he was not struggling as much now seemingly accepting his fate. 

 

Okay, Tony thought, he's either being difficult on purpose or is losing consciousness on me. Now half dragging half pushing Spiderman he was convinced he was making this hard on purpose. Tony regrets sometimes how spread out the tower is. 

 

Arriving at the room Tony dumped the Spider onto a metal chair in the centre. Steve, who had been in the room waiting helped Tony as they fastened Spiderman's arms and legs to the clasps built into the frame. The chair was solid vibranium, one that Steve himself couldn't get out of so it would undoubtably hold the bug. They shared a look when it came to the right leg the ankle stuck out in a particularly odd way. Whilst Steve and Bruce were in the room with Tony he had no doubt that the rest of the Avengers would be on the other side of the one way mirror. The only other furniture in the room was a metal table currently placed in front of the Spider. 

 

"So" Steve began walking around the table to lean towards the Spider "what were you doing on the roof of the tower?"

 

When no response came, Tony internally sighed. It was going to be a long night.

 

* * *

 

 

Peter would be lying if he said he wasn't scared. It's not everyday that you wake up to find your once idol in front of you. And said Idol was speaking to him! If only his brain was less foggy that he could tune into what he was saying. It appeared that his body was moving out of instinct as he now found himself on the floor of the roof looking up at Tony Stark.

His voice was so dry but he forced it out anyway "W.. wha.. *cough* what do you want?"

 

"Well A, that's a bit rich, I should be asking you that one seeing as you are on my rooftop and B, I just said, I come in peace and want to talk". Oh yeah, that made sense. Peter remembered now, he was on the roof of the tower. The Avengers tower. The Avengers who did not like him tower. _Nope!_ was Peters last functioning thought before he pushed his shaking body up, discovered his ankle was still broken and did a swan dive off the roof.

 

He remembers a strong cold hand grabbing his wrist, metal? He remembered begging to be released, didn't happen. He remembered being dragged and stumbling down corridors. Everything was so fuzzy, his head was still pounding and surprisingly his hunger had returned stronger than even. God he could use a sandwich right now!

 

"So, what were you doing on the roof of the tower?" _The_ Steve Captain America Rogers was facing him, leaning towards him. Peter couldn't process. It was Captain America and he was asking him something. _What was he doing here?_ Well what was he doing here? Oh yeah he came here to sleep, wow his mind was foggy. Just as he was about to respond it was evident he had taken too long.

 

"Who are you? What are you doing on the tower?" Steve again, voiced raised slightly which made Peters head ring a bit more.

 

"Uh" Peters' oh so eloquent and hoarse response. Could he ask for some water? He had left his backpack on the roof. Water would help him, water would clear his mind a little. Then he remembered he couldn't drink water he would have to remove his mask and fuzzy mind or not he knew that was a no-no. All this thought of water however had lead to a physical response from Peter's body and he started coughing. On the table before him a glass of water was placed.

 

"Who are you working for" Captain America again asking more questions.

 

Who was he working for? He wasn't working for anyone but could you imagine what his life would be like if he did?! He would have money, he could pay rent, get food. He wondered how much a small one bed would set him back in the current financial world.

 

"Earth to Spiderman!" Tony's voice this time loud next to him "Are you with us?!" Peter had spaced out. What was he doing thinking of jobs and houses? He was in an interrogation, he should be scared. For some reason he wanted to laugh though, he was definitely not fully present right now. Was he imagining everything going on here? Was this really happening?

 

A loud rumbling noise made Peter jump. "You hungry?" Tony again. That was Peter's stomach that made the noise. Was he hungry? Now that he thought of it the hunger pains he had missed over the last day or so made themselves clearly known, he shifted in his seat currently very uncomfortable.

 

"Here's the deal, answer one question and we will give you something to eat" Captain America stated the deal and Peter was already nodding, god he was so hungry. Bruce left the room after exchanging a look with the Captain.

 

"Okay!" Peter agreed quickly. Too quickly, Tony and Steve were giving him a look. He must seem desperate, or they think he is up to something.

 

"What were you doing on the roof?" Captain America repeated his initial question.

 

"Sleeping, it was warm" Peter answered without hesitation. Did he get food now?

 

"Riiiiight" Tony drawled, "what were you actually doing up there?"

 

"Sleeping, I was sleeping!!" Peter pleadingly replied. They had to believe him, it was the truth, he wouldn't lie right now, he just wanted food. "You said I had to answer and I get food. I answered" Peter tried.

 

"Yes and I don't believe you" Tony said.

 

"That wasn't part of the deal. I answered, you said if I answered I got food not if you believed me or not" Peter wined. He sounded like a child but he was so hungry. They couldn't do this, right? Surely a deal was a deal whether part of an interrogation or not?

 

"Alright alright, Bruce will be back any second" Tony pinched his eyes irritatedly. As he said it the door opened again and Bruce came in with a small bowl in hand.

 

Peter could smell the food from his seat. It was porridge, definitely porridge and it was warm, he could see small wisps of steam gently rising from the bowl. His stomach growled again, if possible louder than the first time as the bowl was set on the table infront of him. However his attention was drawn away to his side where Tony who was suddenly close, was reaching out to him.

 

Peter flinched, if the chair wasn't so steady, unmoving he would have gone down.

 

"Woah, woah!" Tony sounded like he was talking to a horse "just gunna take your mask off"

 

His mask! Peter didn't want them to take his mask off but he desperately wanted the food. Realising what he needed to do he allowed Tony to reach forward again and tug the fabric of his mask up starting at his neck, up to his jaw, over his mouth. Then when it was just over the tip of his nose Peter made the fine hairs covering his face stick to the fabric. The mask was pushed up to his nose but would go no further.

 

"What the?" Tony moved around towards the front of Peter, one hand going to push the bowl away so he wouldn't knock it off the table. His eyes were fixed on the mask to see what was stopping it's assent. Before he could get there though, before he could move the bowl Peter face planted sticking his half masked head down into the bowl devouring the porridge without pause.

 

Shocked would be the easiest way to summarise how Tony felt watching the vigilante stick his face in a bowl of luke warm porridge and begin scarfing it down. He also felt a twang of pity, how desperate was the guy? How hungry did a person need to be to stick their face in a bowl like that. Recoiling slightly glancing at Cap and Bruce he could tell his feelings were shared.

 

"Ehem... I was gunna give you a spoon... you know?  Free a hand and all once the Cap was ready you didn't have to dive right in".

 

Peter felt his face colour with embarrassment, he turn a very dark shade of red. Dropping his chin to his chest in the hopes his idols wouldn't see. What was he doing? He still wasn't thinking straight. He had just been so hungry. And then there was food, warm food right in front of him. And then Tony's hand had gone for the bowl, to take it away, move it away Peter now realised. He was just moving it so that he could try and get the mask all the was off. And Peter in a moment of inspired wisdom had shoved his face in the bowl and dived in.

 

The bowl was empty now, the room was quiet. Peter kept his head down avoiding the others eyes.

 

Then Peter felt strange. He shifted, groaned slightly. His stomach contracted, it hadn't expected any food let alone so much so fast.

 

Tony moved closer, was he concerned?

 

Peter threw up.

 

Peter threw up the porridge all over himself and Tony Stark.

 

Peter passed out, head lolling forward in the chair. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to the commenters :) 
> 
>  
> 
> If you don't like; please don't feel obliged to read :P


	7. Who are you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Peeks head up sheepishly** All I can say is sorry ｡◕‿‿◕｡
> 
> I know some will have stopped reading because of such a long break but I will finish this for anyone still out there - sorry ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

_Peter threw up._

_Peter threw up the porridge all over himself and Tony Stark._

_Peter passed out, head lolling forward in the chair._

 

 

 

A moment of complete silence filled the interrogation room. Vomit that was mostly just porridge dropped down the front of the red and blue suit. There was a small puddle on the floor that also incorporated Tony’s shoes, splatter marks going up his legs. Tony’s chest had also been hit by a small amount of the spray but the man himself paid it no immediate attention seeming to have gone into shock by what had just happened.

 

Steve placed a hand on one of Tony’s shoulders as the door to the room opened and Natasha entered followed by Bucky, it seemed he had heard what went down on the roof and had joined the others in their observations behind the glass.

 

Careful of where he placed his feet Steve put some pressure on Tony’s shoulder guiding him away from the mess and the passed out vigilante.

 

“What the hell?!” Tony had obviously come back to himself “Did he do that on purpose? That’s disgusting!” He fumed holding his arms away from his body and wrinkling his nose at the not really existent smell. It was mostly undigested porridge after all, there hadn’t been anything else in the boys system to come out but Tony’s brain told him it stank like puke was supposed to so he reacted accordingly.

 

“He’s starving” Natasha murmured catching Bruce nod to her words. She had not move from her spot over by the door. It seems she came in because she wanted to watch in person rather than through the one way glass but couldn’t bring herself to come any closer.

 

Missing her comment Bucky asked “Is that what they teach you nowadays if you end up in interrogations, use everything as a weapon?”

 

“I don’t think it was intentional Buc” Steve who, having deposited Tony out of the way was gingerly making his way back over to the vigilante avoiding the little trail of porridge Tony's footprints had left along with the initial puddle and splatter zone.

 

“Son” Steve tried to rouse the man moving closer and crouching down to his level. “Hey, can you hear me?”There was no response from the half masked man before him, Steve reached out a hand to shake his shoulder.

 

Quicker than his eyes could follow Spiderman’s head snapped up, his shoulder shook off Steve’s hand and before he could react the vigilante head butted him in the nose. Steve fell backwards from the chair, landing on his back in shock he kicked out a leg to try and move away but now found his foot covered in vomit/porridge too. A blur went past his face but his eyes had begun to water from the pain in his nose distorting his view.

 

 _Crack_.

 

“Bucky, No!” Natasha appeared in front of Steve’s head, she had Bucky’s flesh arm pinned behind his back her other arm wrapped across his chest pulling him back away from the chair.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Tony has watched the display before him. Spiderman, still cuffed to the chair had head butted Cap and from the looks of it managed to break his nose or at least give him a good nose bleed judging on the trickle now staining Steve’s front. He must be forceful to make the enhanced super solider bleed. Tony had also watched as Bucky sprang forward seeing Steve go down laying a fist into Spiderman’s cheek.

 

_Crack_

 

The vigilantes head snapped to the side, Tony couldn’t tell if the crack was a jaw, nose or cheekbone but something had definitely snapped. Bucky continued now laying a punch to the stomach with his metal arm. Before Tony could blink again Natasha had jumped on Bucky restraining his flesh arm behind him, pulling him back her other arm wrapped across his chest. Bucky raised his leg and gave a final kick to the vigilantes chest.

 

“Buc!” Steve has managed to get to his feet now catching up on what had happened “Buc, look at me, I’m fine” he wiped the blood from under his nose away.

 

Sensing Bucky calm under her Natasha unwound her arm from across his chest. Releasing his other arm too Bucky went straight to Steve.

 

"He attacked you!" Bucky grabbed Steve's jaw twisting his face up to inspect his nose.

 

"I don't think he meant to. I think he had passed out after throwing up and came too with me looming over him, can't say I blame the guy" Steve tried to remove Bucky's concerned hands from his face.

 

Bucky appeared to be satisfied that Steve was not actually hurt, the bleeding had already stopped, his nose wasn't even broken.

 

"Bucky what was that?" Tony asked stepping forward.

 

"I over reacted. I thought he hurt Steve, sorry". Tony was looking at the vigilante again, why was everything going so wrong tonight, even a simple interrogation couldn't be straight forward.

 

Natasha moved closer to the chair it was now her turn to get close to the vigilante.

 

Natasha approaches, crouched down as Steve had done. Bruce moves forward too along with the recovered Tony whilst Steve and Bucky shuffled back towards the far wall. Bucky seemed to place himself behind Steve avoiding eye contact with the room for the time being.

 

Cautiously hooking a finger under the half raised mask she stopped, the apparent resistance Tony had experienced was gone, she could easily lift the mask off. This must mean that the person below was unconscious again, this couldn't be healthy passing in and out of consciousness so frequently over mere minutes. deciding against tugging the mask off Natasha withdrew her hand and cast her eyes over the rest of the form. The blue and Red formed the identifiably suit, she wondered why wear such bright colours when the local cops were not a fan of you however she then realised the suit actually wasn't that bright. Scratching lightly at a small section on the shoulder she discovered that dirt and what appeared to be dried blood covered the suit leading to the colours being significantly dulled from those she was used to seeing. Inspecting the suit further she started to note that it was actually very thin, wearing away in places. There were infact cuts and tears in the fabric which now drew her attention.

 

"He's wearing clothes underneath this" she stated as Bruce and Tony leaned closer too. It was true, a different red fabric could be seen through the cuts on the top half of the suit and black was peaking through the cuts in the bottom sections. 

 

"Can you lift off the mask?" Tony would try to do it himself but was wary now as the man had attacked Steve whether on purpose or not. He was sure that head butt would do a lot more damage to Tony's un-super solider head.

 

"Yes but I won't" Natasha replied "He's unconscious again." At Tony's incredulous look she added "Besides I don't think that should be our priority right now"

 

"What do you mean, this could be the only chance we get?"

 

"Tony, Natasha is right. Those punches and kicks from Bucky can't have done him much good it also looks like his breathing is irregular" Bruce supplied from where he was observing the vigilante. 

 

Tony huffed annoyed but understanding that they should check the man out said "Jarvis, can you diagnose an arachnid?"

 

"I am able to read and analyse the body of all known arachnids through my database but I am surmising you are referring to diagnosing the Spiderman infront of you sir and not another spider in this room?"

 

"Yes Jarvis, no need to be so snarky"

 

"Apologies sir but you designed me this way." Jarvis' quick reply "In reference to your diagnosis request I can confirm that Spiderman is currently running a high fever that should be treated urgently. In addition to this Spiderman is currently presenting physical injuries, he has suffered at least two cracked ribs from what my scans can pick up. Spiderman also has; a broken ankle, broken finger, dislocated finger along with multiple cuts and abrasions. There is a hairline fracture to his jaw and cheek bone. There is a stab wound to his left leg that is showing signs of infection. He also appears to have a mild concussion, pneumonia and is severely malnourished and dehydrated. Although further analysis of his base levels would be required I think it is safe to assume that Spiderman is also suffering from fatigue. Unfortunately I cannot be more accurate with the diagnosis as there is no previous data but would recommend medical treatment and further examination immediately."

 

Jarvis' clipped emotionless run down took a while to process in Tony's head.

 

"We need to treat him, and not here" Bruce stated. 

 

"He hasn't answered for why he was on my roof yet, I don't think we can trust him."

 

"Tony if we don't help him I fear you will never find out. Pneumonia and such a high fever at the same time is very serious, let alone the concussion. We need to get him more stable first and then you can find out your answers. You heard Jarvis, there could be more lying undetected we need to treat him now especially as we are partially responsible for his current state." Bruce glanced at Bucky at this point whose gaze was on the floor. Bruce knew Bucky hadn't known the man was already injured and just had a panic response to Steve being hit but still, Bruce was concerned at the diagnosis they had been given. "We need to act now, from my research into him I believe he has a healing factor but I've no idea how strong or the full extent of these injuries".

 

"Fine, let's take him to medical, Steve you okay to escort? He's going there handcuffed though and he will be cuffed to the bed too" Steve nodded at Tony's words.

 

"Okay, I'll go and prep whilst you bring him up" Bruce left the interrogation room.

 

Tony glanced at Natasha "You sure he's out?" he joked but was fairly confident Natasha was monitoring the breathing patterns of their prisoner and would say if he appeared to be waking up.

 

"Right, lets do this" Tony said positioning himself alongside Steve at the arms of the chair as Natasha retrieved some handcuffs that were hidden on her person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you commenters and Kudos-ers you're amazing  
> (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
> 
> I haven't seen far from home so please do spoil it in the comments, I'm unlikely to see it until it is released on Microsoft store :(


	8. Wake up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because it wouldn't be me if I didn't post two chapters very close to each other after a ridiculously long break ... here you go  
> ヾ(｡﹏｡)ﾉﾞ
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry again
> 
> ✧*｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✧*｡

 

 

_"Right, lets do this" Tony said positioning himself alongside Steve at the arms of the chair as Natasha retrieved some handcuffs that were hidden on her person._

 

 

Moving Spiderman with the assistance of Steve turned out to be much easier that the solitary task Tony had on his way into the interrogation room. When it became apparent that Spiderman would not be gracing them with his consciousness anytime soon Tony had gone to peek under the mask before his hand was swatted away by Natasha. Tony sighed and watched as Steve decided that carrying the man bridal style would be easier than frog marching him as a dead weight to the medical room. Once the handcuffs were secure Steve scooped the limp form up and muttered that he didn't weigh anything.

 

"No need to brag there, we all know how muscular you are or are you overcompensating for something?" Tony couldn't help but nudge at Steve. It was unfair that he got such an easy escort when Tony had struggled the way down even though he was wearing his suit dragging the semi conscious and reluctant vigilante.

 

"I'm not, you could lift him without your armour, he weighs nothing." Steve said seriously before leading the way to the medical room.

 

"Put him down here" Bruce directed to the bed once they arrived. He seemed to be prepping long plastic tubes about the width of a pool noodle lying them on a table near the bed. Steve set the man down and stepped back.

 

"I think there are more than enough people in here" Bruce said to the room at large. The room had gained a small gathering of avengers, those who had been watching behind the one way glass having trailed after the rest of the team to the medical room. "Tony, Steve and Natasha, you stay the rest of you please leave we have a lot of work to do."

 

"Why do they get to stay?" Clint predictably winded.

 

"It's my tower, Steve can restrain him and Tash has the key to the handcuffs, scram bird brain et al." Tony flapped his arms at the group ushering them out the door.

 

"Thank you" said Bruce who had turned to the patient on the bed. 

 

"Will you be alright?" Bucky was lingering near the door his sad eyes on the vigilante.

 

"I'll be fine Buc, go I'll let you know how he is later" Steve replied and watched as Bucky tore his eyes away guilt showing on his face. Steve was happy that his friend cared for him but they both knew Bucky had taken it too far and  _the red mist_ as Steve liked to refer to it clouded his thoughts. It was something Bucky was still working on, sometimes he just entered the winter solider mode when emotional and only a few people could break him out of it.

 

"What can we do?" Natasha asked, her and Steve had basic medical training but she had no idea how to fix a fever like this or pneumonia for that matter.

 

"If you can undo the handcuffs and then attach them to the bar of the bed, just his left arm, I need to set the broken finger on his right and the dislocated one. Then if you and Steve can help me get him out of the spandex we can see what we're working with. Jarvis mentioned an infected stab wound that I would like to take a look at soon to see how bad it is." 

 

As Natasha sorted the handcuffs, watched closely by Steve incase Spiderman regained consciousness, Tony moved over to begin removing the costume. Unable to find a seam or a zip immediately Tony plucked up a pair of scissors to start cutting the cheap spandex free. Once the part that formed the top section was completely removed Tony was left with a red zip-up top underneath. Passing the scissors to Natasha who began working on the bottom section Tony cautiously unzipped the hoodie to reveal to his astonishment another top, this one blue.

 

"He's like a freaking Russian doll" he muttered stretching his hand back out asking for the return of the scissors to take away this next layer. It would be impossible to remove the top in the normal fashion due to the hoodie that was unzipped over it let alone the cuff on Spiderman's left wrist. 

 

Natasha passed him back the scissors "It's the same here" she said indicating the pair of black jogging bottoms that she had uncovered. Tony glanced down surprised before he resumed his cutting of the top section. Picking the blue fabric up from the chest Tony cut straight up the middle only to be treated with the sight of a grey henley shirt. 

 

"Oh come on!" he exclaimed and began to cut this third top in the same fashion, straight down the middle. "Finally" he stated upon seeing flesh underneath, however then he took a closer look at what he was seeing. Tony gasped in shock.

 

 

Masses of deep purple and black bruises covered the very prominent ribs trailing their way down to the concave stomach which was also severely bruised. This would have been due to the recent run in with a metal fist Tony thought to himself as he also thought he could see part of an outline of a boot print though it could just be his eyes playing tricks. There were so many bruises Spiderman must have already been badly injured before he entered the tower, there was no way Bucky did all of this by himself. Tony could clearly see which ribs were cracked or bruised, the colouring here particularly vibrant. Bruce came up behind Tony alerted by his gasp. 

 

"Can you roll up the sleeve on his right arm? I need to get some fluids in him." Bruce asked Tony whilst allowing himself to stare at the poorly treated chest of his patient.

 

"Bruce?" Natasha questioned from the opposite side of the bed, she indicated with the reclaimed scissors to the mans pants.

 

Bruce lifted the waistband of the black joggers to be greated as expected by another pair of pants. Shimmying the top layer down off of the mans hips and legs he then checked under the remaining pairs waistband. Only a pair of briefs met him, deciding to leave these layers in place for now Bruce hooked up the IV to the arm that Tony had uncovered. This arm also was littered in bruises, although nothing like his chest and stomach, it also had some small cuts.

 

"Jarvis, which leg was the stab wound on?" Natasha questioned and began gently rolling up the pants on the indicated right leg following Bruce's lead in leaving the pants on. The wound looked like it had been there a while and Jarvis was right, there were definite signs of infection judging from the swollen, inflamed skin surrounding the puncture. It seemed that no attempt had been made to bandage the wound and it had just been left to bleed freely onto the pants as Natasha had to pull away the material where it was sticking to the man's leg. The right leg was also the location of the broken ankle. As carefully as possible Natasha moved back down the leg to inspect the boot of the vigilantes suit to see how hard it would be to remove, only to discover it too was made of spandex. The material for the boot was only slightly thicker than that of the parts above. It couldn't do much to protect ones feet whilst walking but then she reminded herself that Spiderman swung through the city far more than he walked.

 

Bruce had joined her next to the boot "I think it's best if we leave the ankle in the boot for now, the spandex will stretch if it swells even more but I would like to get this fever under control, he's at 104 and it appears to be climbing" Bruce said glancing at the machines Natasha hadn't seen him hook up to the man.

 

"How do we bring it down?" Tony asked readying himself to help.

 

"Here place these along his bare sides and tuck the ends under his armpits" Bruce instructed passing over a couple of the pool noodle looking object. They were cool to the touch but not uncomfortably so. "Place one underneath his neck too and another resting across his collar bones. Natasha help me get two of these trough his trouser legs so they are pushed against his skin, Steve keep an eye on him. I don't think this will wake him up but he may start thrashing again like the fever dream we saw on the roof."

 

Everyone went about their tasks Steve keeping an eye on the masked man. It was impossible to read if this was causing him discomfort having cold tubes pressed around him as the mask gave no expressions away, however at least there was no sign of movement at all. Steve would not underestimate the strength Spiderman apparently had, his poor nose learnt that lesson earlier.

 

Looking at the monitors Tony could see the temperature stabilise and then after a few minutes drop a degree beginning its descent. "That seems to be working. What do we do about the rest of him?" 

 

"Whilst he's still unconscious I'm going to treat this stab would, the infection may be the cause of this current fever if it has entered his blood. Tony can you get some bandages and wrappings" Bruce asked whilst picking up a kit to clean and disinfect the wound. He wheeled over a small stool and Natasha helped hold more equipment within reach whist Steve kept watch near the mans head for any signs that he was coming to.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Done." Said Bruce after a while working away. He had cleaned and wrapped the stab wound, taken care of some of the larger cuts which littered the mans body and also put some cream onto some of the mans more severe bruises, Natasha and Tony helping where they could. The IV bag had already been changed once and as Bruce glanced at it now he saw that it was again empty.

 

Following Bruce's gaze Tony commented "Thirsty isn't he?. Should we be worried that he is sucking up fluids like a sponge?" 

 

"You heard Jarvis, dehydration and malnutrition, I'm actually quite concerned about that." Bruce looked over Spiderman's lithe form. 

 

"He looks very unhealthy, how long can you stay like this?" Tony asked, Spiderman was skinnier than Tony had ever seen a living person, especially considering how active Spiderman was. Tony couldn't understand how Spiderman's body was able to support him running and swinging across the city let alone fighting and taking hits.

 

"I'm not sure, I'm considering the benefits of putting in a nasal tube. You saw what happened with the porridge, he obviously hasn't been eating properly in a long time, his stomach can't handle large amounts of food very fast at the moment. It may also be why his healing is obviously impaired. I've seen Spiderman get shot and be out on patrol the next day with no apparent injury. Bullet wounds don't heal on their own overnight, this along with other clips I've seen lead me to believe he does have quite the healing factor yet it is not working at the moment. This could have led to him getting more injured in the first place, weaker bones with lack of nutrition and impeded its healing afterwards, the body needs energy to heal, factor or no."

 

Tony cringed at the thought of a nasal tube much too invasive for his liking. "I wonder why he's like this. He hasn't always been so skinny? I remember fighting with him a few months back and there were definite muscles under that spandex not bunched up clothing like this." Tony gestures to the tops that were still cut open pushed to the side revealing Spiderman's chest. During the clean up of the other cuts Bruce had removed the remaining pair of bottoms leaving Spiderman in his briefs cooling tubes still against his legs. It was true, Tony had fought alongside the wall crawler once or twice and there was certainly not enough room for three tops and two pairs of bottoms under the spandex then he was sure of it, he had seen the muscles rippling under the suit.

 

"He's still muscular now look" Bruce said pushing the tops down slightly on Spiderman's shoulder. "See he's thin but still muscles lie underneath, this isn't normal for a human body, muscles are the first thing the body attacks when going into starvation and he certainly is starving. His stomach is literally concave, it shouldn't dip like this under his ribs and yet I think there is a very faint six pack there. Well, lets take a closer look at the broken finger and the dislocated one for now then move onto the ankle whilst he's still out of it. Steve be ready if he comes around, these will all probably hurt quite a bit."

 

"Can't we give him any pain killers?" Tony asked, he had to have his shoulder popped back in before and the experience hadn't been pleasant. "Also I think we should take some blood".

 

"I can't give him anything for the pain, he has nothing else in his stomach that combined with the fever will do more harm than good." Bruce replied but before he could get to the blood Natasha spoke up.

 

"You are not taking blood samples just to satisfy your curiosity Tony. Focus on his wellbeing first and then on your own needs."

"We may be able to help him more, if we get some blood work done we will know more about the infection and whether there is something else we need to do to treat him or anything that we have missed."

 

"I'm not comfortable taking blood from an un-consenting patient" Bruce put in "I'm sorry Tony but it's obvious that he doesn't want people to know who he is. Unless it is life threatening I won't do anything to compromise his identity at least whilst he is not awake to allow it, thats why we won't be treating his cheek fracture for the time being". 

 

"He chose to hang out on my roof, if he didn't want me to become curious he should have thought about his actions and not make such an interesting puzzle."

 

"Tony we don't even know why he was on the roof, it could have been for any number of reasons although I'm sure we are all considering similar things" Bruce said hanging up a fresh IV bag to the drip.

 

"Exactly! We don't know why he was up there so this is our chance to find out. Come on Bruce aren't you curious to know who's under that mask?"

 

"Absolutely not, at least not whilst he is still in this state. Let's get him fixed up for now Tony, he's not going anywhere."

 

"What similar things Bruce?" Steve supplied from his position next to the bed.

 

"Well we said it earlier, what good reason does anyone have for being sat outside in the middle of December let alone up on a rooftop where it is colder. I'm starting to think that choosing your roof Tony was no accident and was less about who you are and more about what your rooftop happened to contain."

 

"The air duct?"

 

"Releasing free hot air out into the night, to a person with a fever and pneumonia I'm sure it was very inviting."

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Spiderman didn't wake up. 

 

They popped back in his dislocated finger, nothing. They reset the broken one that seemed to have started to heal at a funny angle on it's own, who knew how long he had had that. Not even a twinge from the masked man.

 

When they moved on to his ankle Steve braced himself to restrain the man, the ankle was swollen and looked very sore. Steve stood over Spiderman gazing at the pair, teardrop shaped eyes which gave nothing away.

 

Before he knew it Bruce, Tony and Natasha had got the spandex boot off and under advise from Jarvis on how the break was lying had set it and wrapped it up into a cast.

 

"Phew!" Steve sighed "I was sure he was going to wake up and I would have had a fight on my hands there."  


"I'm actually more concerned that he didn't react to any of that, the ankle should have been enough to rouse anyone it was a nasty break the fact that he didn't wake up is troubling." Bruce said looking at the still passed out patient. "Tony grab the scissors again and cut down the sleeves of these tops so we can remove them. I haven't treated his ribs yet, there may be something more seriously wrong that we've been missing."

 

Tony did as he was asked cutting down the sleeves of all three tops and pulling the fabric out from underneath the man. Spiderman now lay there in nothing but his briefs. "He really is tiny" Tony commented, now there were no bulky layers of clothes to draw the eye away Spiderman looked incredibly small in the hospital bed reminding Tony of a child.

 

"Sir, his core temperature is dropping rapidly" Jarvis supplied.

 

Bruce glanced at the monitor in shock, Jarvis was right, Spiderman definitely didn't have a fever now, he was heading the other way. Quickly removing the cooling tubes from his body Bruce grabbed a blanket to drape over the semi-naked form. "He doesn't seem to be able to regulate his temperature" Bruce mused "His body should have started shivering to warm itself.."

 

Before Bruce could continue with that thought there was a loud rumble.

 

"Wow! His stomach is going to wake him up!" Tony exclaimed at the loud noise. "Or maybe it's awake because he is?" he questioned looking up at the reflective eyes of the supposedly unconscious man.

 

 

  

 


End file.
